Key-operated automobile switch



Mar. 6, 1923. 1,447,869 B. D. KUNKLE ET AL KEY OPERATED AUTOMOBILE SWITCH Filed June 2, 1919 INVENTORS 46 BagardD.KunK/e, and 45 Y Job/1 VJo/zaf'er ATTORNEY BAYARD D. KUN'KLE AND JOHN V. SCHAFER, OF MARIETTA, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO. THE CASKEY-DUPREE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

KEY-OPERATED AUTOMOBILE SWITCH.

Application filed June 2,

vented a new and useful Improvement in- Key-Operated Automobile Switches, of

which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to automobile switches as employed in the control of the lighting and ignition circuits of a machine,

5 and it has for its object to provide apparatus of the character designated that shall be Sim-- ple compact in design and of pleasing appearance and which shall enable the desired circuit connections to be made in a simple and expeditious manner.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a front view, in elevation, of a switch embodying a preferred form of invention; Fig. 2 is a side View in section of the switch shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan View of the base plate employed with the switch of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the base member of the switch shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views, respectively, of the two contact members employed in the switch of Fig. 1; Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views of lighting and ignition circuits as controlled by a switch embodying our invention; and Fig. 9 is a plan view of a novel terminal member.

In the control of the ignition circuit of an automobile, it is desirable that means be provided for locking the circuit in the open position when leaving the car at the curb, so as to prevent its removal by unauthorized persons.

With. this object in view, it has been proposed to operate a movable switch member by a key, this switch member being inaccessible by ordinary means and thus rendered subject to control only by the person holding the key.

It is further desirable that means be provided within easy reach of the driver for extinguishing the car lights or for lighting them in the dim condition, as for operation on city streets and for lighting them in the full or on condition, as for riding in the country.

We find that an ignition switch of the 1919. Serial No. 301,154.

key type, as described, may conveniently be combined with a lighting switch into a simple and compact structure, as for mounting on the dash-board, all rotating parts; being concentric so that the switch is neat and compact in design.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed understanding of our invention, a base plate 10 is mounted on the dash or in any other suitable location. This base member is provided with a central struck-up portion 11, shown as circular'in outline, and is further provided with a double quadrant shaped opening or pair of arcuate slots 12 at the center thereof for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. The base plate proper of the switch is shown at 13 in Figs.

- land 2, being circular in outline and fitting over the struck-up portion 11. The insulating body portion 14 of the switch is mounted on the plate 13, as by screws 15,'to form a casing which encloses two rotatably mounted switching drums or contact carriers or actuators 17 and 18, the former for the control of the lighting circuits and the latter for the control of the ignition circuits. These colntact actuators and the handle are coax- 1a.

A hollow barrel 19 is fixedl mounted on the plate 13 and is traversed y a rotatable key pocket or barrel 20 and is surrounded by the base portion 21 of the operating handle 9. The key barrel 20 is at the axis of the handle and actuators and extends through a large central opening in the contact drum or plate 17 and into engagement with the small contact, member or plate 18, as shown at 22.

The base member 21 of the handle 9 is extended into the switch casing, the handle being preferably provided with inwardly extending fingers 23 which project through the quadrant spaces 12-12 in the base member 10 (Fig. 3) and into engagement with the rotatable switch member 17.

Thus the switch member 18 may be oscillated upon insertion of a key in the key pocket, the limits of oscillation bein determined by a lug or projection 24 (Flg. 6) which moves in a cut-out portion 25 of sub stantially quadrant-shape in the base member 14, the engagement of this member 24 with the shoulders at the ends of the space 25 positively limiting the extent of oscillation. I

may be oscillated by the movement of the handle member 9, the limits of oscillation being determined by the engagement of the' members 2323 with the shoulders at the ends of the quadrant shaped spaces 12-12 in a flat end wall of the casing (Fig. 3).

Particular attention is directed to the fact that, in the manner shown, the movements of the switch members are positively stopped by engagement with portions of the switch frame-work, ratherthan being determined by the fixed electrical contacts.

battery, to the tail light 28, and to the head lights 29, they respective contact members being designated as 31, 32, 33 and 34. A resistor is inserted between the contact member 34 and'the head-light supply lead.

With the switch drum 17 in the position shown in Fig. 7 the battery contact 31 bears on insulating material so that the lights are all out.

Swinging the handle 9 to the left brings the contact segment 26 into contact with the battery terminal 31 and swings it out of contact with the dim head-light terminal 34, so that the head lights and tail lights are lighted for the full on position, as desired for country driving. Similarly, if the handle 9 is thrown to the right, the segment 26 again engages the terminal 34 and moves out of engagement with the terminal 33 while engaging the battery terminal 31. Thus, the tail light is lighted as before and the head lights dimly through the resistor 35.

If both main and auxiliary head-lights are used in order to secure bright or dim eilects, the main head-lights are in circuit with the contact member 33 and the auxiliary headlights are in circuitwith the contact member 34, no' dimmer resistor being necessary.

The contact drum 17 is provided with three stop notches 36, 37 and 38 (Fig 5) adapted-to engage a stop spring member so as to hold the switch drum in any one of the three operating positions.

Turning now to the control of the ignition circuit, the switch drum 18 is provided with a wedge-shaped-contact member 39 having downwardly turned arc-shaped ends 40 and 41 (Figs. 6 and 8).

The switch drum 17 carries an arceaaeee Fixed contact members 42, 43, 44 and 45 bear upon the drum 18, these members being short L'shaped springs projecting through the base member 14, as shown at 44 in Fig. 2.

The member 42 is connected to the ignition battery and the member 44 to the ignition magneto. The member 43 is connected to the spark coil through a distributer 46 and the member 45 is grounded.

By turning the contact member 18 to the position shown in Fig. 8 by the insertion of a key in the key pocket 20, the spark coil is grounded and neither battery or magneto are connected for operation. The insulating body portion of the member 18 is cut away,

as shown at 46 and 47, 48 and 49 so as to increase the creepage distance between the contact member 39 and those fixed terminals which it is desired shall not engage therewith.

Upon rotating the switch drum 18 in a clockwise direction, the arc-shaped portion 40 bridges the terminal members'43 and 44, arranging the ignition circuit for magneto operation. At the same time, the contact member 40 moves out of engagement with the ground terminal 45.

' Similarly, rotation of the contact drum 18 in the counter-cloclnvise direction causes the contact member 41 to bridge the contact terminals 42 and 43, providing battery ignition for the spark plugs.

The various fixed contact members such,

for example, as 27 and 44 are equally spaced around the base member 14, protruding through openings 50 therein, asshown in Fig. 4. Obviously, the outer ends of the contact members 27 and 44 are ill-adapted to withstand severe lateral strains, such as might be imposed by tension. on wires attached thereto and it is, therefore, desirable that auxiliary support of some nature be imparted thereto. We secure this result by attaching a Z-shaped member 51 to each spring terminal. The engagement of this member with the insulating base is such that the spring terminal cannot be bent over in any direction and thus the breakage thereof is prevented.

' W hile we have shown our invention in its preferred form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is. susceptible of various minor changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed the-reupon as are imposedby the prior art or are specifically set forth .in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention 1. In an automobile: switch, the combination with a cup-shaped base member, of a plate member covering the opening therein, said plate member being Drovided with a central opening having a plurality of radial notches, two switch drums coaxially mounted within said base member and with respect to said central opening, two concentrically disposed operating members disposed on the outer side of said plate in coaxial relation to said switch drums, connecting members joining the outer of said operating members to one of said drums, said connecting members lying in said radial notches, whereby the limits of travelof said drum in either direction are fixed by the engagement of said connecting members with the sides of said notches, and a connecting member centrally disposed in said central opening and oining the inner operating member tothe remaining switch drum.

2. In an automobile switch, the combination with a cup-shaped base member, of a plate member covering the opening therein, said plate member being provided with a central opening having a. plurality of radial notches, two switch drums coaxially mounted in said base member and with respect to said central opening, an operating handle terminating in a ring-shaped base and a. key barrel mounted exterior to said plate member, said barrel being concentrically mounted within said handle base and said two members being coaxially mounted with re spect to said drums, connecting members joining one of said drums to said handle base, said connecting members being disposed within said notches, whereby the travel of said drum in either direction is determined'by the engagement of said connecting members with the sides of said notches, and a connecting member joining said key barre-l to the remaining switch drum and centrally disposed within said opening.

3. In an automobile switch, the combination with a cup-shaped base member, of a plate member covering the opening therein, said plate member being provided with a central opening having a plurality of radial notches, two switch drums mounted in axial alinement with respect to each other and with respect to said central opening, an operating handle terminating in a ringshaped base and a key barrel mounted exterior to said plate member, said barrel being concentrically mounted within said .handle base and said two members being coaxially mounted with respect to said drums, connecting members joining the forward switch drum to said operating handle, said connecting members being disposed, within said notches, whereby the travel of said drum in either direction is determined by the engagement of said connecting members with the sides of said notches, a connecting member joining said barrel with the rearward switch drum and centrally disposed with said opening, and a rearwa'rdly extending boss on said drum provided with a laterally extending member, said boss and member being disposed in an opening provided with a lateral notch in said base member, whereby the engagement of said laterally extending member with the sides of said lateral notch determines the extent of movement of said rearward switch drum in either direction.

4. In an automobile switch, the combination with a cup-shaped base member, of a plate member covering the opening therein, said plate member being provided with a central opening having a plurality of radial notches, a cylindrical barrel mounted upon said plate member in axial alinement with said central opening, said notches extending beyond said barrel, a handle member having a ring-shaped base surroundin said barrel, a key barrel mounted within said barrel, two switch drums mounted within said base and in axial alinement with said central opening, operating members joining said handle-base to one of said drums and extending through said notches exterior to said key barrel, and an operating member joining said key-barrel to the remaining switch drum and centrally disposed within said opening.

5. In a lock switch, the combination of a casing having a flat end provided with arcuate slots; an oscillating member outside said end having projections passing through the slots and oscillatable about the center of the casing; an insulating plate inside the casing secured to said projections and having a circuit connecting member thereon; a lock inside said oscillating member; and a plate operated by the lock and having. :1 connecting member thereon independent of the first named connecting member.

6. In a switch, the combination of a casing having a fiat end provided with arcuate slots; an oscillating member outside said end having projections passing through the slots and oscillatable about the center of the casing; aninsulating plate inside the casing secured to; said projections; and a circuit connecting-1 member thereon.

7. In a lock switch, the combination of a casing having a flat end provided with a slot; an oscillating member outside said end having a projection passing through the slot and oscillatable about the center of the casing; a contact actuator inside the casing secured to said projection; a lock inside said oscillating member; a contact actuator operated by the lock; and complemental contacts governed by said actuators.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this 23rd day of May,

BAYARD D. KUNKLE. JOHN V. SCHAFER. Witnesses:

K. L. KELSEY, GomA GREIGHTON. 

